Having talked at length with her son, Madam was also feeling somewhat weary, and said: “You’ve been running about all day today. Go to bed early as well!”

Only then did Luo Zhensheng remember the reason he had come.

He quickly said: “Mother, there is something I wanted to discuss with you!”

Madam immediately sat up attentively at this: “Whatever it is, go right ahead.”

Luo Zhensheng smiled: “What do you think of that Qian Ming?”

Madam was taken aback.

Luo Zhensheng said: “He is twenty-seven this year, and has yet to take a wife.” He then told the story of the roast suckling pig, adding: “…I can see he is extremely quick on his feet. He may well be no ordinary talent in the future… What do you think — shall I find a way to give him a hint?”

Madam’s interest was immediately piqued: “You must make sure to look into it carefully first. Don’t let it turn out he already has someone at home, and then goes about claiming to be unattached — by then, our Luo Family would be the laughingstock!”

“Don’t worry!” Luo Zhensheng smiled: “I will make thorough inquiries.”

Madam felt her spirits rise just thinking about it: “This Qian Ming really is something. That quick-wittedness alone is unmatched. If this truly works out, it will be a match made without any effort at all.”

She found herself thinking of the Fourth Son-in-law from the Second Household.

The Luo Family had spent no small sum and gone to great lengths just for him to pass the provincial examination and attain the rank of Elevated Scholar…

Seeing his mother had agreed, Luo Zhensheng rose with a smile: “Then you rest. I’ll come back as soon as I have something definite.”

Madam nodded, had Luo Qiao see Luo Zhensheng out the door, and retired for the night.

—

Shiyiniang tossed and turned and could not sleep. When she got up the next day and looked in the mirror, her face was as smooth and fresh as a newly peeled egg — not the faintest mark on it.

Such were the advantages of youth!

She sighed to herself, then ate breakfast and went with Fifth Miss and Shiniang to pay their morning respects to Madam.

Madam was the same as always — smiling warmly, speaking kindly. She exchanged a few words with them, and when Nanny Xu brought in the usual accounts, Madam signaled that they could take their leave.

Not a word about why Shiniang had come, not a question about what had happened at home — as though time had not moved at all, as though the trip to Yanjing and the visit to Yuan Niang had been nothing but a dream.

To say nothing else: that composure alone — that settled, unshakeable steadiness — was something to be admired.

Shiyiniang let out a quiet sigh to herself, and left in something of a daze.

Fifth Miss came over and linked her arm through Shiyiniang’s with a warm familiarity: “Eleventh Sister, what are you going to do later? What do you say — shall we play chess? I’ll give you a ten-stone head start!”

“I have needlework to finish.” Shiyiniang smiled and deflected Fifth Miss: “Why don’t you and Tenth Sister play chess? I’ll sit nearby and work on my stitching.”

Fifth Miss turned to Shiniang with a warmly inviting smile: “That sounds wonderful!”

Shiniang tilted her chin in Fifth Miss’s direction with a look of disdain, then turned and went back to her room.

Fifth Miss murmured under her breath in her wake: “Sigh, I wonder how Baizhi and Jiuhong are getting along? The purchasing steward in the outer courtyard — his mother took a liking to Baizhi, and Madam had originally promised she would be let out this autumn…”

Shiyiniang saw Shiniang’s footsteps falter for just a moment — then she straightened her back and walked into the west wing room.

“Eleventh Sister, so much for your good intentions.” Fifth Miss watched this with a faint smile, then said to Shiyiniang: “I’ve had my warmth met with a cold shoulder — I can’t afford to lose any more face. I’m going back to my room.” With that, she took Ziwei and Ziyuan back to her own quarters.

“It’s not as though our young miss was the one who made Tenth Miss refuse.” Binju, who had come out to receive Shiyiniang, muttered under her breath, earning herself a fierce glare from Dongqing.

Shiyiniang smiled and went back to her own quarters, then picked up her needlework and settled onto the wide kang bed by the window to sew a spring outfit for Mu Ge.

At midday, she sent Hupo to discreetly find out what was happening over at Madam’s quarters.

Hupo returned and reported: “…She and First Young Mistress and Nanny Xu have been going over accounts all day.”

“Go again at dusk,” Shiyiniang thought for a moment and said: “See if anyone has come to visit Mother.”

“Understood.” At dusk Hupo made another trip: “…Nanny Tao came on behalf of the First Young Mistress to pay her respects to Madam.”

Madam Jiang had not come… Shiyiniang was rather surprised, and then let it go.

No matter how pleased she may be, one still has to keep up a certain reserve, doesn’t one!

That evening, she and Fifth Miss and Shiniang went to pay their evening respects to Madam.

Madam was in the middle of talking with First Young Mistress: “…No matter how precious a thing is, it only matters in one’s own home. A wife rises with her husband — you cannot put a single foot wrong.” She stopped when she saw the three of them come in.

Who was she talking about?

Shiyiniang puzzled over this, but kept her expression carefully neutral and paid her respects to Madam.

Madam was in excellent spirits — not only did she chat and laugh pleasantly with them for a few moments, she even kept them for supper.

This left Shiyiniang all the more uneasy. Back in her room, she sent Hupo to find out: “What exactly did Nanny Tao say when she came?”

Hupo took an embroidery pattern as a pretense and went to deliver it to Shanhu at Madam’s quarters. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she was back.

“Young Miss, Young Miss.” She was visibly agitated, and pulled Shiyiniang into the inner room to speak: “Shanhu says — the Marquis is taking a concubine!”

Shiyiniang’s heart thudded: “Tell me everything.”

She instinctively gripped Hupo’s hand.

Hupo steadied her breath and said: “The Marquis is bringing the Sixth Miss of the Qiao Family into the household tomorrow evening. The Xu Family has invited several tables of guests, including our household’s Master and First Young Mistress. Madam has asked First Young Mistress to send a set of jewelry as a congratulatory gift.”

Qiao Lianfang…

Without knowing why, an image rose in Shiyiniang’s mind: that girl sitting quietly, serene — her face as pure and lovely as a lotus blossom.

Such a girl, and she was to become someone’s concubine…

In place of the joyous festivity of a proper wedding: kneeling before the first wife to offer tea. In place of the phoenix coronet and embroidered robes: a pale pink over-jacket. In place of walking with head held high: bowing with humble deference…

Shiyiniang’s feelings were thoroughly mixed.

This is what Yuan Niang wanted, isn’t it!

For coveting her position — this is the consequence.

Shiyiniang had a dim but growing feeling that she herself might be the chosen candidate… because only that way would Yuan Niang’s plan be complete.

A second wife of humble birth, a concubine of noble birth; the one of noble birth has witnessed the most humiliating moment of the one of humble birth’s life — a seed of unease planted in her heart.

Would this woman, inferior to her in every way, therefore look down on her? Would she use this as leverage to demand whatever she liked?

Who would choose to live beneath that shadow of fear!

The only path was defiance.

And moreover, she had her family as backing.

If she could secure that position, her family would be glad to see it through.

And what of the one of humble birth?

Apart from that position, she had nothing else to rely on.

Whether for her life or for her dignity, she would have to exhaust every means to hold onto what she possessed. Anyone who dared challenge her must be met with thunderous force — made an example, cut down decisively — to frighten into submission all those watching and waiting on the sidelines…

Two people like this, placed in the same cage, would only fight. Not merely fight, but fight to the death — fighting until the household was in constant turmoil, until the Dowager Madam grew disillusioned, until the Marquis grew weary… until Zhun Ge grew ever safer!

If you have no enemy, then cultivate one — set them against each other to check and restrain one another… that was the most brilliant stratagem of all!

With this realization, Shiyiniang found herself releasing a long, slow breath.

She had been living with this creeping dread for far too long already… she was genuinely afraid that Madam might, in some moment of ill humor, carelessly marry her off to just anyone.

Perhaps this is not so bad!

At the very least, here was a path she could see clearly before her. At the very least, she still had the chance to take precautions and prepare in advance. At the very least, Xu Lingyi was a man with all his faculties intact and his mind in order. At the very least, Xu Lingyi gave the impression of being cold and severe and difficult to approach — yet when Yuan Niang had schemed against him, he had not turned vicious or made himself ugly. At the very least, Xu Lingyi was a man whose pride and arrogance ran bone-deep — and men like that, though they would never show tenderness or gratitude, would not, when it came to a moment of life and death, abandon their wife and children…

She thought of the probing, searchlight gaze of Madam Jiang.

Still better than being led by the hand by Madam to be looked over and assessed by strangers — and perhaps not even passing their scrutiny.

This is enough, isn’t it?

More than this, she could not ask for, and no one would give it.

Shiyiniang reflected with a measure of self-mockery, and that night, she slept soundly and deeply, without so much as turning over once.

—

The following morning, she went to pay her respects to Madam.

Madam was radiant. It was plain to see her spirits were very high. She smiled cheerfully and chatted with them: “…Spring bamboo shoots should be in season now! Let’s have Nanny Xu buy some, and tonight we can cook bamboo shoots with pickled vegetables.”

“Romaine lettuce should be in season too!” As usual, Shiyiniang sat to one side smiling pleasantly and listened without venturing opinions; Shiniang sat with a blank face, mind elsewhere. Only Fifth Miss kept up with Madam: “I remember you love lettuce stir-fried with egg. Shall I ask the kitchen to make you some?”

Madam nodded: “I really can’t stand the flavor of Chinese toon. Shiyiniang seems to enjoy it quite well.”

Hearing Madam mention her, Shiyiniang laughed behind her sleeve.

Just then, a little maid came to announce: “Madam, Madam Wang has come to call.”

“Madam Wang?” Madam looked puzzled: “Which Madam Wang?”

“She says she is the wife of Lord Wang, Provincial Administration Commissioner of Fujian…” The little maid’s voice dropped several notes.

Madam’s brow furrowed slightly: “Show her in.”

Fifth Miss and Shiniang and Shiyiniang withdrew to the side room adjoining Madam’s bedchamber.

Shortly afterward, Madam Wang’s voice came from the inner room: “Madam, I truly did not expect — you are acquainted with Madam Jiang as well! She specifically entrusted me to come and…”

Before she could finish, Madam cut in: “You really are quite the rare visitor. The last time you came, I happened to be out, and I assumed you had already gone to Fujian with Lord Wang, so I didn’t send anyone to inquire after you. Please don’t hold that against me.”

Yet Shiyiniang’s attention was caught by Madam Wang’s words — “Madam Jiang specifically entrusted me to come.”

Was Madam Jiang sending Madam Wang as a matchmaker?

Though that was quite possible, too.

Both families were Yanjing nobility — some acquaintance between them was perfectly natural.

As she turned this over in her mind, she heard Madam say: “Come, let us sit on the kang on the east side… it’s so untidy in here!” Clearly to avoid being overheard.

Shiyiniang glanced at Fifth Miss and Shiniang.

Both wore composed expressions. One sat on the wide kang by the window; the other stood at the corner of the room, idly running her fingers over the leaves of the potted winter holly placed there.

People don’t fear being plotted against — what they fear is being plotted against without knowing it.

For no clear reason, a shiver passed through Shiyiniang.

Come to think of it, Fifth Miss — able to swallow her pride and make herself agreeable, and sharp enough to seize any chance to get in a dig — was also a woman of real mettle. Even so, once the answer was revealed, no matter how many tricks she had up her sleeve, she would likely find no opportunity left to play them.

Madam Wang did not stay long. After she was seen off, the smile on Madam’s face was impossible to contain — and Shiyiniang could see bafflement in Fifth Miss’s eyes.

That afternoon, another visitor arrived: a Madam Huang, wife of a Ministry of Justice Supervising Secretary named Huang Ren.

By then, Shiyiniang and the others had each returned to their own rooms. It was Shanhu who came to bring the news: “…She came on behalf of Master Qian to propose a match.” And as she said it, she gave Shiyiniang a long, meaningful look.

She wanted her to go and compete for it, didn’t she?

Shiyiniang reflected — and could only manage a rueful smile.

If she had not stayed behind in the side room to watch the scene unfold, perhaps she might have had a chance… but now, having seen through Yuan Niang’s scheme, Shiyiniang felt she had no chance whatsoever.

—